


You Tread On My Dreams

by Aztecl



Series: Febuwhump 2021 [2]
Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Angst, FebuWhump2021, Idiots in Love, Imprisonment, Internment Camp 371 (Star Trek), Isolation, M/M, Oblivious Julian Bashir, Pining, Pre-Slash, Solitary Confinement
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-04
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-16 00:21:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29198286
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aztecl/pseuds/Aztecl
Summary: The seconds hurrying by were frantic and slippery. Julian couldn't find the strength in his now malnourished bones to grasp the time and truly see through the white noise. The last reliable time he had made note of was old news by now, as time flowed like a ferocious river current and didn't slow for anyone. The water had already swept him away, and someday his head will finally sink below the surface and drown in the familiar face of darkness.*Or, Julian's thoughts while being held in solitary confinement at Internment Camp 371. Small bit of Garashir. Written for Febuwhump day three: Imprisoned.
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Series: Febuwhump 2021 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140485
Comments: 9
Kudos: 23





	You Tread On My Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Title comes from a poem called "Aedh Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven".
> 
> I don't own Star Trek or these characters.

Julian knew he was loosing it when even his genetically enhanced internal clock couldn't keep up.

The darkness watched his every move from the distant corners of the cell. He almost thought he saw it move, shriveling and leaning into itself as the heavy seconds ticked by in his head: _Tick, tick, tick_.

While Julian held his breath and sat across from the dimmest wall of his small cell, the darkness died more and more each day. And yet, he still couldn't make out anything other than his hand when it was held close to his face.

 _Tick, tick, tick_.

The seconds hurrying by were frantic and slippery. Julian couldn't find the strength in his now malnourished bones to grasp the time and truly see through the white noise. The last reliable time he had made note of was old news by now, as time flowed like a ferocious river current and didn't slow for anyone. The water had already swept him away, and someday his head will finally sink below the surface and drown in the familiar face of darkness.

When he'd first been been thrown into solitary confinement, Julian had done math problems. He had isolated variables from "A" to "Z" and back again. He mentally drew calculated diagrams and charts and ran through algorithms. He added more terms and concepts until just doing one problem took him at least an hour.

The ticking soon became background noise: _Tick, tick, tick_.

Eventually Julian's mind drifted from numbers to letters and lunches shared with Garek. He remembered the way Garek would bring up Cardassian novels and enigma tales, his voice a musical tone of smoothness and passion. Julian remembered how they would argue about every little thing over _The Never Ending Sacrifice_. He missed those talks.

Instead, Julian whispered his favorite paragraphs to himself. He also took a silent oath that someday he'd tell Garek how he really felt. How those discussions filled him with a sense of longing.

_"Have you finished the entire thing yet, my dear Doctor?_

_"No, but I can probably already tell you exactly how it ends," Julian teased._

_"Now what makes you say that?" Garek asked, his eyes sparkling._

_"My experience with Cardassian literature usually involves some kind of propaganda or selfless heroism." He paused to gather his thoughts. "They die a glorious death for Cardassia."_

_"I think you're forgetting about the novel from last month, entitled_ The Uncharted Abyss _. After reaching the end, when_ _Trel_ _Drored sits in his cell and contemplates what an excellent life he's lived, I do believe you told me, 'Dying in a prison is not glorious.'"_

_"But that doesn't change the fact that it was for Cardassia. He killed himself because he was a risk when it came to state secrets and the inner workings of Cardassian society."_

_"Which in itself," said Garak, smiling, "is an illustrious precedent."_

Julian continued his mental read through of _The Never Ending Sacrifice,_ never once getting lonely with Garek's thoughts mingling with his own. He was like a beacon of light and desire in the midst of Julian's current predicament. For Garek, he told himself. For Garek he would survive Internment Camp 371.

His cell was still as dark as ever.

Julian's hands tingled. The entire camp had been on the cold side, but the solitary confinement cells were downright frigid. He could see each breath in the still air, a hazy cloud that looked out of place with the rest of the sights around him, which arguably wasn't very vivid.

 _Dull_ , his brain supplied.

 _"I can't believe I'm eating lunch with a_ _man who thinks_ The Never Ending Sacrifice _is dull."_

The word rang like a sharp concussion in his dazed mind. Julian smiled, although he knew that he wasn't fooling himself. He was still stuck in a prison in the Gamma Quadrant during a war heavy on casualties and bloodshed. As much as an impact Garak has on him, it still didn't change anything to his front-running problem.

_Tick, tick, tick._

Julian held his hand close to his face and squinted. He counted each finger and examined each line, tracing his thumb to his forefinger and vice versa.

As more time passed, his eyelids grew heavier until they eventually fluttered shut. He drifted off with thoughts of Garak still eating away at his brain.

* * *

Julian had long lost track of each individual second, having completely tuned out the sound of ticking that seemed to echo amidst the hollowness he felt. Hell, he wasn't entirely sure which way was up and which way was down. Left and right practically became synonyms in his mind. Only when the cell door finally swung open, allowing light to spill into the room did Julian gather his bearings.

He tried to hold his head high as the Jem'Hadar marched him back towards his old cell in the main prison block. He suppressed the urge to smile when he thought of seeing his cellmates again - and at the prospect of helping the sick Cardassian he'd been caring for. Or at least making him comfortable...

There was also a certain feeling of motivation surging through him. _When_ (not _if)_ they escaped the camp, Julian already knew he'd go straight to Garak.

And that's why he was even more surprised to round the corner and see Garak already waiting with Worf and Martok. Any previous hints of amusement or a smile disappeared almost as fast as they had blinked into existence. Julian also distantly noted that it was the moment he started counting the seconds again: _Tick, tick tick._

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated.


End file.
